PatchTheCVECVE-2018-18203: A vulnerability in the update mechanism of Subaru StarLink Harman head units 2017, 2018, and 2019 may give an
CVE-2018-18203 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.4) affecting starlink 2017 firmware, starlink 2018 firmware, starlink 2019 firmware. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.
A vulnerability in the update mechanism of Subaru StarLink Harman head units 2017, 2018, and 2019 may give an attacker (with physical access to the vehicle's USB ports) the ability to rewrite the firmware of the head unit. This occurs because the device accepts modified QNX6 filesystem images (as long as the attacker obtains access to certain Harman decryption/encryption code) as a consequence of a bug where unsigned images pass a validity check.
Why this priority
- Public exploit reference
No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.
Risk facts
| CVSS score | 6.4 (Medium) |
| Attack vector | Physical |
| Attack complexity | High |
| Privileges needed | None |
| User interaction | None |
| EPSS exploit chance | 0.2% (top 85%) |
| CISA exploited list | No |
| Weakness | CWE-347 |
| Published | 2018-11-28 |
| Last modified | 2026-06-17 |
Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score
Am I affected?
Timeline
- Published CVE record published
- Updated Record last modified
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.
Quick answers
How do I fix CVE-2018-18203?
starlink 2017 firmware: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; starlink 2018 firmware: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; starlink 2019 firmware: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.
Is CVE-2018-18203 being exploited?
CVE-2018-18203 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.
What does CVE-2018-18203 affect?
CVE-2018-18203 affects starlink 2017 firmware, starlink 2018 firmware, starlink 2019 firmware. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.4). A vulnerability in the update mechanism of Subaru StarLink Harman head units 2017, 2018, and 2019 may give an attacker (with physical access to the vehicle's USB ports) the ability to rewrite the firmware of the head unit. This occurs becau
How urgent is CVE-2018-18203?
Priority 31/100. Public exploit reference